Comparison of CALIPSO-derived Biomass Burning Smoke Plume Injection Height and CMAQ Modeled Injection, for the Tripod fire of 2006

Abstract:

Biomass burning (BB) is one of the primary causes of elevated airborne particulate matter (PM2.5), which has been linked to significant health problems. Plume injection height (IH) controls plume transport, which can result in short- or long-range transport. We developed a new method to estimate BB plume injection height (IH) using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) aerosol data, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Fire Detection data, and the NASA Langley Trajectory Model (LaTM). NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System smoke data are used to ensure smoke. After identification, CALIPSO smoke-filled aerosol data are used to initialize air parcels in the LaTM. Then, the trajectory model is run backwards in time until there is a coincidence with MODIS fire detection data and smoke-filled air parcels. Our focus will be on the Tripod fire, one of the largest fires in the lower 48 in recent US history (burned July-August 2006). We will compare the daily CALIPSO-derived injection height estimates to CMAQ modeled injection height, in an effort to improve smoke plume height injection estimates.